Northeast
Swift River
Live Conditions
Swift River — At West Ware
7-Day Flow
↑ Rising
24-Hr Pressure
29.79 inHg · → High/stable
Local Weather
Normal conditions
Today
☁️Overcast
68° / 34°
Tomorrow
☁️Overcast
70° / 45°
Wed
☁️Overcast
71° / 49°
Thu
🌦️Drizzle
66° / 55°
0.04"
Cold front incoming — go deep with nymphs, surface activity likely slow.
Weather by Open-Meteo · No API key · Updated every 30 min
What should I fish today?
⚡ AIAI-powered recommendation using today's live flow, temperature, and hatch data.
9
Time of Day
Using: 122 CFS · BWOs and MIDGES. Brown trout spawning continues — RESPECT REDDS. Cold consistent tailwater fishes well.
What should I pack?
Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's Swift River conditions.
🪰 Hatch Calendar
Swift River · November · Late Fall
Showing typical dates — water temperature data unavailable for live hatch predictions.
Select month
BWOs and MIDGES. Brown trout spawning continues — RESPECT REDDS. Cold consistent tailwater fishes well.
River Map
About Swift River
The Swift River below Quabbin Reservoir's Winsor Dam is Massachusetts's preeminent tailwater fly fishery — a gin-clear, bottom-release stream that stays cold enough for trout 365 days a year even through brutal summers. The special-regulations fly-only stretch holds a surprising density of wild and holdover brown, rainbow, and brook trout given its proximity to Worcester and Springfield. Abundant hatches, consistent temperatures, and large fish make it a year-round destination despite the pressure it receives.
Regulations
Winsor Dam downstream to Route 9: fly fishing only (conventional fly rod and fly line required), catch-and-release, open year-round — no bait, no treble hooks, no spinning gear. Route 9 downstream to Cady Lane: catch-and-release, artificial lures only July 1–December 31; harvest and bait permitted January 1–June 30. Managed by DCR / MassWildlife. CFS alone does not indicate fishability — check dam release schedules.
Learn More
Guides to help you fish Swift River with more confidence.
Massachusetts Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Massachusetts fishing license (no separate trout stamp), the April 1 spring opener, year-round catch-and-release on the Swift fly-only stretch, the…
Trout Species of Massachusetts
MA's wild brown trout fishery — the Swift below Quabbin, the FirstLight-controlled Deerfield, the Westfield Wild and Scenic corridor — alongside…
How Barometric Pressure Affects Fishing (And How to Use It)
That gorgeous bluebird day after a cold front? Worst fishing of the year. Here's the data behind why pressure changes matter more than the weather…